Feeder for pressure cookers



B. E RICHMOND FEEDER FOR PRESSURE COCKERS Filed April 20, 1942 J7 FIE l IE E IN V EN TOR. fluff/e f. E/Chman d BYWM/M/ Patented Mar. 7, 1944 v 2.333.268 manna-mammalian 000K388 Mn is. Richmond, San Jose, Calif. Application awn-20,1942,- sei-m'uo. 439.139

- This invention is concerned with the provision of a pressure cooker .ior use in the processing dried fruit such as prunes. It is a general object 01' the invention 00 Drovide a pressure cooker for subjecting dried fruit such as prunes to steam under pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooker of the above character wherein an improved form of valve mechanism is provided ior introducing and discharging prunes to and from the pressure cooker.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a cooker of the above character having a valve mechanism which will not sum or stick because of the character of the product handled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism for a pressure cooker of the above character wherein fruit can be transferred between two zones of different pressure continuously' and without sticking of the parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of an 5 Claims. '(CL 188-211) prunes to the draper i2 without loss or pressure past the valve mechanism. a Inorder to insure successful operation or the valve I 3 and avoid summing and sticking of the parts, it is desirable to provide a timing valve indicated generally at 24 to place measured charges of prunes in each pocket 2| as it passes by the intake opening 22. The charges of prunes for each pocket is less than the full capacity of the pocket so that the level of prunes will be below the cut oil point 28 provided by the wall of standing arm 32, while the right hand gate is provided with a depending arm 33, the arms 32 illustrative embodiment of the invention, as 11- lustrated in the accompanying drawin in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pressure cooker embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the intake valve mechanism of the cooker; v

Figure 3 is adetail oi the drive connection for the timing valve.

Referring to the drawinsnthe cooker includes an elongated casing in which is supported by suitable legs ll. Within the casing in a draper or conveyor l2 of suitable form is provided to g which the prunes are fed by an intake valve mechanism indicated generally at l3. A discharge valve mechanism I4 is provided to receive prunes from the discharge and of the conveyor, and this valve mechanism is similar to the valve mechanism I3 at the intake of the casing.

It will be understood that the draper I2 may be of any suitable form to convey prunes in bulk through the casing in so that they are subjected to steam under pressure which may be supplied,

for example, through a steam pipe l3 under control 01' a suitable thermostat. (not shown At the feed end of the cooker, the casing I0 is in communication with-the housing I! of intake valve l3. Within the housing II, a rotor i8 (Figure 2) is provided secured on a shaft l9 suitably journalled in the housing I'I. Rotor I8 is provided with a series of pockets 2| which receive charges of prunes at an intake opening 22 and and 33 being connected for simultaneous movement by a link 34. In this way, the gates 29 will open and close simultaneously upon operation oi. arms 32 and 33. An arm 33a (Figures 1 and 3) secured on the right-hand shaft 3| is pivotally connected at 33 to a link 31 which is connected at 39 (Figures 1 and 2) tea drive disc 4| mounted on a shaft 42. Shaft 42 carries a pinion 43 which meshes with gear 44 secured on shaft IS. A suitable motor drive may be provided for gear 44 and the similar drive gear or discharge .valve l4.

The link 31 (Figure 3) is preferably made up of two telescoping parts urged apart by spring 38 so that gates 29 are yieldably moved to closed position. Pin and slot connection 35 between the telescoping parts-of link 37 limits the extent of relative movement therebetween. In the closed position of gates 29, spring 33 is compressed slightly. In their closed positions the lower edges of gates 29 are spaced apart slightly to'avoid crushing oi a prime caught therebetween.

The disc 4| operates to move the gates 29 to their open position, once while each pocket 2. is passing beneath the gates in fruit receiving position and to interrupt the flow or prunes past the gates before the trailing edge of the pockets I 2| passes the cut-oil point 23. The gates therecarry them to a discharge opening 23 to iced the after interrupt the flow of prunes until the next succeeding pocket 2i is i position to. ir ceive the prunes.

It will be understood-that prunes are fed to the timing valve 24 by suitable feed means such as a'belt or shaker conveyor (not shown) which provides a relatively constant rate of speed. Similarly a suitable hopper or conveyor may be provided to receive prunes from the discharge valve I4.

I claim:

1. In a pressure cooker, a valve mechanism for carrying fruit from a zone of one pressure to a zone of a different pressure without disturbing the pressure differential therebetween, said valve comprising a member having a pocket mounted for successive movements between respective fruit receiving and fruit discharging positions, pivotally mounted gate means for controlling the feed of fruit to said valve mechanism in charges individually no greater than the capacity of said pocket. and means operable in time with the operation of said member'for opening said gate means when said pocket is positioned in fruit receiving position and for closing said gate means before said pocket leaves said fruit receiving position.

2. In a pressure cooker, a valve mechanism {or carrying fruit from a zoneof one pressure to a zone of a diil'erent pressure without disturbing the pressure diflerential therebetween, said valve comprising a rotary member having a series of pockets mounted for successive movements past fruit receiving and fruit discharging positions, a pair of pivotally mounted gates for controlling the feed of fruit to said valve mechanism in charges individually no greater than the capacity of said pockets, means connecting said gates for coordinated operation, and means operable in time with the operation of said member for opening said gates when ,each pocket is positioned in fruit receiving position and for closing said gates before each pocket leaves fruit receiving positions 3. In a pressure cooker for subjecting dried I ing device in time with the operation of said ro fruit such as prunes to steam pressure, having a to transfer measured quantities of prunes to said feed valve, and means for operating said measurtary feed valve .for limiting transferring of said measured quantities of prunes to said feed valve at any time to a quantity of prunes no greater than that which can be completely held by one of said pockets.

4. In a pressure cooker for subjecting dried fruit such as prunes to steam pressure, having a conveyor therein, the combination with a feed valve for depositing the prunes on said conveyor without loss of steam pressure in said cooker, said feed valve being continuously rotated and having a series of peripheral pockets for carrying the prunes; of a measuring device for transferring to said feed valve individual measured charges of prunes less in quantity than the capacity of an individual one of said pockets, and means for operating said measuring device in time with the operation of said rotary feed valve for limiting transferring of charges of prunes to periods during which the pockets are positioned to receive the charges. I

5. In a pressure cooker for subjecting drie fruit such as prunes to steam under pressure, a feed valve comprising a casing having an intake passage and a discharge outlet, means for transferring the prunes from said intake to said discharge without loss of pressure comprising a continuously rotated valve member having peripheral pockets therein, a measuring device for measuring the amount of prunes in each of said pockets and only partial- 1y filling each of said pockets comprising a hopper having an outlet communicating with said intake passage and said feed valve, a pair of oscillatable gates to control the movement of ,prunes thru said outlet, said gates when in the closed position having juxtaposed edges mutually spaced apart sufiiciently to prevent crushing of prunes therebetween but sufllciently close together to prevent passage of prunes therebetween, said juxtaposed edges being disposed at a distance from the periphery of-said rotary feed valve member, and means operated in timed relation with the rotation of said feed valve for opening and closing said gates to measure the quantity oi prunes deposited in each of said pockets.

BURNELL E. RICHMOND. 

